The Colorado secretary of state’s office has finalized an agreement with the Department of Homeland Security to use a federal database to determine whether there are noncitizens on the state’s voter rolls — a victory more than a year in the making for Scott Gessler.

The letters asked those people to either remove themselves from the voter rolls or provide documentation that they have become U.S. citizens.

Gessler said in a statement Friday that his office will also begin comparing the list of about 4,000 to the federal database, known as the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements, or SAVE, program.

He also said his office will hold hearings before taking any action on any person who was mailed a letter and does not respond.

“I’m heartened by the cooperation of these individuals who either proudly displayed their naturalization papers or withdrew their registrations,” Gessler said. “Each of these people helps improve the integrity of Colorado’s voter rolls.”

Critics of Gessler’s actions say they are politically motivated attempts to discourage voters — many of them minorities — from going to the polls in November.

They also say the number of people who may be improperly registered probably isn’t significant enough to risk intimidating eligible voters or improperly removing someone from the rolls.

Gessler counters that without conducting regular checks, there’s no way to know what the extent of the problem is.

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